Tangled Up (Bachelors of Buttermilk Falls #2)

by Robyn Neeley

  Brandon led her to the center of the dance floor. “I’d never hurt you.” He was no longer just talking about his fake hook.

  “I know.” She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers played with his hat for a second before their eyes met. “I’m sorry, Brandon.”

  “For what?” He reached down and touched one of her red braids.

  “Lots of things.”

  “I’m sorry, too.” He drew her closer as they swayed to the music, enjoying the feel of her arms wrapped around him and knowing in his heart Abby was the woman for him. Now, if he could get her alone to tell her.

  He smiled, breathing in her delicious strawberry scent. Although, right now, he wanted to continue holding her and never let go.

  “Well, don’t you two look precious? I see someone has snagged my ex-wolf.” Caitlin came up to them dressed in black, wearing a long red hooded cape.

  “Not now, Caitlin.” Brandon tightened his hold on Abby. Given the information he knew about the baby’s father, he didn’t trust that Caitlin wouldn’t blurt out that name here. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d created a scene in public. He didn’t need that drama.

  “Oh, I think we’ll do this now.” Caitlin crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

  Abby stepped out of Brandon’s embrace but laced her hand in his. “Caitlin, I’m sorry that we hurt you, it—”

  Caitlin cut her off, shaking her head. “You don’t get to talk. You two are a piece of work.”

  Abby scoffed. “That says a lot coming from you.”

  Brandon watched as the two squared off. How did he and Abby hurt Caitlin?

  Something was going on. Why were people all of a sudden saying things that he couldn’t remember happening? “Abby, when did we hurt her?” Abby’s gaze met his and she blinked. Her hand trembled in his. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “Of course, this is about her.” Caitlin threw her hands up in the air. “It’s always been about your precious witch, hasn’t it?”

  “What are you talking about? We just got together this week.” He paused, “I mean . . . um . . . Caitlin, this is really none of your business.”

  Abby turned to Brandon, tears in her eyes. “Can we talk somewhere private?”

  Caitlin didn’t seem to care that her presence was upsetting Abby. “Want to know why I left town when I did?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Because I saw you two making out on my parents’ front porch!”

  Brandon’s gaze shifted from Abby to Caitlin. “This summer when I was staying at your family’s cottage rental? That never happened.”

  Caitlin shook her head, her anger aimed directly at Brandon. “Why are you lying? Just admit you dumped me for her.”

  Emma came over, stepping in between Caitlin and Abby. “I think you need to leave right now,” she said to Caitlin.

  “Oh, please. Like I’d listen to anything you have to say.” Caitlin pointed a finger at Emma. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t cast the Batter Up spell on Brandon, he would have never seen her name in his batter,” she said in disgust, waving her hand in Abby’s direction. “He would have proposed to me that night like he planned on doing.” Her voice cracked. “This baby would be his.”

  “I’ve never done Batter Up.” Brandon looked at Emma. “Have I?”

  Emma glanced over at Abby and then grabbed Caitlin’s arm. “You and I need to have a little talk.”

  Brandon nodded to Jason that he needed backup on this one, and his best friend and Emma ushered a hysterical Caitlin into the kitchen.

  “Brandon,” Abby started.

  He grabbed her hand and led her across the room and out to the front porch where they could be alone. “What was Caitlin talking about?”

  “I can explain all of it.”

  “Did Batter Up really happen? Did Emma perform the spell on me?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes watered up. “She did.”

  “And it spelled out your name—you’re my soul mate?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Did Caitlin see us making out this summer?”

  Abby wrapped her arms around her middle and looked away

  “Abby? Was she telling the truth in there?”

  “Yes.” She paused, visibly shaking. “I mean, I didn’t know she saw us. I’m just as surprised as you.”

  “I think I’m a lot more surprised,” he deadpanned. “Why don’t I remember any of it?”

  “Brandon, I’m so sorry.”

  That was the third time she’d said those words. He grabbed both her hands. “Abby, you need to tell me the truth. Why don’t I remember kissing you last summer?”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “Because I cast a reverse memory spell on you so you’d forget.”

  * * *

  “Brandon, wait . . .” Abby flew down the hill, following Brandon toward the water. The cold wind chilled her to the bone.

  Once he fully processed what she’d done, she knew he’d ask the inevitable question. This was not the way she had wanted him to learn the news about their baby. Her chest tightened as she raced down the hill after him. “Brandon, please stop.”

  He spun around, his eyes full of anger. “Abby, it’s freezing out here, and you don’t have a coat. Go back inside.” Not waiting to see if she did it, he bolted straight for the dock.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you let me explain,” she called out.

  Brandon reached the dock’s end, yanked off the plastic hook and hat, and threw both to the side. “You cast a spell on me so I would forget that we were together. Do I have that right?” he asked, not turning around to face her.

  Abby pulled her cape in, trying to block out the cold air. “Yes. It was a reverse attraction spell that made you forget.”

  Brandon threw his head back and let out a big sarcastic laugh. “Because my developing feelings for you was a bad thing. Is that why you did it?”

  “No,” she said, taken aback. “That wasn’t it at all. You didn’t have feelings for me. We were just having sex.”

  “And you think I go to bed with just anyone?” He spun around in time to catch her eyebrow shooting up. She brought it down.

  “I don’t know. You were with Caitlin briefly, and you seemed to like the bachelor life. You never admitted that you had feelings for me.”

  She tried reaching for his hand, needing to reassure him how seriously sorry she was, but he pulled it away and raked it through his hair. “Abby, if my feelings then were even half as strong as the way I’ve felt these last two weeks, I was falling in love with you. You denied me that.”

  She let out a breath at that revelation. He was falling in love with her? She should be ecstatic to hear it, but in this context, his words chipped at her heart. “I was falling in love with you, too. I didn’t know that at the time, but that’s exactly what was happening.” Her voice trembled. “It scared me.”

  “That you were falling in love or that it was me?”

  “Both, I guess.” She could feel her eyes welling up again. “You’re the bachelor of Buttermilk Falls. I didn’t think you’d be ready to settle down.”

  “When did you do the spell?”

  “Two weeks ago. I brought a cupcake to the tavern.”

  “The chocolate one?”

  She nodded. “Brandon, I didn’t—”

  “You watched me eat it, knowing that it would completely erase my memory of us?”

  “I know what I did was morally wrong and completely unforgivable, but I truly thought we both were better off at the time. I realized when I saw you kissing Rachel in the park that I’d made a colossal mistake.”

  “Did you cause that freak rain storm?”

  She looked up at him, not wanting to admit that part and who actually did it.

  He shook his head. “Of course you did.”

  “Brandon, I may have cast the reverse attraction spell, but it didn’t work completely. The strawberry shakes, you remembered that they were my favorite and that’s why you started drinking them.”
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  She took a deep breath and continued. “And the reason you bid one thousand dollars on my strawberry shortcake is because you joked right before you ate the enchanted cupcake that you’d pay that amount for one of my desserts.”

  Brandon glanced toward the inn. She shivered in the cold air waiting for him to say something . . . anything. The seconds ticked by.

  He finally turned, and she knew his question was coming. “Is your baby mine?”

  Abby met his stare. What she said next would change everything.

  “Abby, is the baby mine?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I had no idea I was pregnant when I cast the spell. I would have never done it if I knew we were going to have a baby. You have to believe me.”

  He shook his head and then let out a deep sigh. “Abby, do you realize how f’d up all of this is? I don’t even remember us together, and now I’m going to be a dad.”

  Abby stood in silence, tears rolling down her face. She’d rehearsed in her head what she would say once he knew the truth—how much she loved him and would never pull a stunt like that again—but the words were stuck in her throat. “I never meant to hurt you,” she managed to push out.

  “I think you should go back in. Have Emma take you home.” He reached down and pulled her cape around her. That small act of compassion gave her hope.

  “Can you take me?” she asked. “I’d like to talk.”

  “Abby, I can’t do this right now.”

  “But I can’t leave with you feeling this way.”

  “All I know is the one person I trusted more than any woman I’ve ever been with has been lying to me the entire time. You’re not the woman I thought you were.”

  Those words caused her heart to shatter, but Brandon didn’t stick around to see the damage. Abby watched as he headed back to the inn.

  Not even a minute later, Emma flew down the hill, gathering her dress so she wouldn’t trip. “Are you okay?”

  “He knows everything.” The tears fell fast.

  “I know.” Emma opened up her arms and gave her a hug. “Let’s get you home.”

  She didn’t want to go, but she needed to get out of the bitter cold. Walking away from the dock, a piercing pain stabbed her in the middle, causing her to hurdle over. “Emma,” she whispered as fear took over her entire body. “The baby.”

  Chapter 20

  Brandon paced the hospital waiting room. It’d been over two hours since the ambulance came for Abby, rushing her to the ER. He should have never yelled at her like he did. It’s just learning what she’d done and that he was going to be a father caused him to lose it.

  “I thought you could use this?” Jason came over and handed him a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks, man.” Brandon took a sip. It tasted like crap, but he didn’t care. “And thanks for sticking around and locking up the inn.”

  “No problem. Mitch and Tom gave me a hand. Have you heard from the doctors?”

  “Not really. Emma’s with her right now.” He sighed and sipped his coffee.

  “Probably not the night you were expecting, huh?”

  “You could say that again. Unless you’ve ever been involved with a woman that cursed you so that you’d forget you’d had sex with her and gotten her pregnant.”

  “I’m guessing that’s not exactly how it happened.”

  Brandon shook his head. “Did you know about her spell?”

  “No, Emma filled me in. Listen, I know all of this is a lot to take, but I saw the effect Abby had on you, even if you don’t remember that you never told her how you felt.”

  “So this is my fault?”

  “No, man. All I’m saying is she’s good for you. You were different this fall . . . happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.”

  “I wish I knew why she cursed me.”

  Emma came over and joined the conversation. “I might be able to help with that.”

  “How is she? How is the baby?” Brandon asked, holding his breath for the answer.

  “She and the baby are both fine. The stress of tonight was a little overwhelming.” She gave Jason a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  “It seems I missed a lot,” Jason said, wrapping his arms around Emma.

  “Hey, at least your memories weren’t stripped away.” Brandon directed his next question to Emma. “Why did she do it?”

  Emma stepped out of Jason’s embrace. “She’s never admitted it, but I think her name appearing in your batter this summer really freaked her out. My cousin feels deeply. I suspect she had strong feelings for you even before she saw my prediction.”

  “Then why did she cast that spell?”

  “She thought you wouldn’t ever want anything more than a good time and that wasn’t enough for her. If she erased your memory of your time together and reversed your attraction toward her, it wouldn’t hurt as much.”

  “She said that?”

  “She didn’t have to. I know my cousin well. You’ve always had her heart, even if you can’t remember how you stole it.”

  “Emma . . .” Brandon sighed. He didn’t know what to make of the situation. The woman he thought he’d fallen for had lied to him this entire time. She’d done so many wonderful things for him these last couple of weeks, encouraging him to buy the inn and go after his goals.

  Hell, he hadn’t been able to write a single word until that Sugar & Spice date, and now he had a completed first draft. The story he couldn’t get down for months had just come to him.

  “Oh, my God. That’s it.” He searched his pocket for his car keys. There was something that could help him sort out all he was feeling and give him some answers. “I have to go.”

  “Now?” Emma asked. “Do you want to see Abby?”

  He zipped up his leather jacket. “I can’t.” He turned to Jason. “I just need to be alone right now.”

  “Yeah, man. We understand. Go.”

  He leaned down and gave Emma a good-bye kiss on the cheek. “Take care of her, will you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks.” Brandon headed for his car. He’d wanted to ride in the ambulance earlier, but Emma had worried that it might further upset Abby. His thoughts raced as he headed down the lake road back to his cottage.

  Thank God she and the baby were fine—their baby. Was this really happening? How many times had they been together and when had he gotten her pregnant?

  He shook his head. How awful had he treated her that she felt the need to curse him so he’d forget their time together?

  She’d said it was a reverse attraction spell, but it clearly hadn’t worked because he’d fallen in love with her over the past two weeks. Now the question was: had he fallen in love with her again? He needed to find out.

  Pulling into his driveway, he jumped out of his car and headed up his back deck. He couldn’t help but remember the Sugar & Spice Night and grilling dinner for her. Of course she’d been so surprised to see the deck finished. If everything was true, she’d probably been stepping over wood and tools for weeks.

  He headed inside and turned on the light. First, he needed to start a pot of coffee. While he waited for it to brew, he changed his clothes.

  It was all starting to make sense. He shook his head, smiling for the first time in hours. No wonder she’d known exactly what to do to drive him over the edge in bed.

  He had so many questions. Pouring some milk and sugar into his coffee, he headed into his living room and sat down at his desk. It took only a minute to rev up his computer and hit print.

  Minutes later, he stared down at the stack of paper in his hand. Had his attempt at fiction these last two weeks turned into an autobiography? He was about to find out.

  Chapter 21

  “Okay, hot stuff. Continue reading, we’ll be ready for you in about fifteen minutes.” Betty poked her head out the door into the animal shelter’s main lobby.

  Brandon smiled and glanced down at his binder. He’d been reading its pages since last n
ight and all this morning. Reaching for his coffee, he drained his cup. He needed something stronger than a strawberry milkshake since he’d only gotten a couple hours of sleep.

  He still couldn’t believe that he was going to be a dad. He’d called Jason this morning to ask how Abby was doing. His buddy said that she was fine, and she had spent the night with Emma.

  Good. He knew he should have called her himself, but he still wasn’t entirely sure what he’d say. Going off on her last night wasn’t something he was proud of.

  It’s just in that moment, nothing he’d learned made any sense. The pages in his binder were starting to shed some light. His protagonist had fallen for a feisty resident redhead and that scared him. Brandon shook his head. How could he have not realized he was writing about his own feelings for Abby? Glancing down, he continued to read.

  “Hey, you here for the calendar shoot?”

  Brandon looked up and a young man with blond hair joined him on the bench. “Yeah.” He couldn’t help but snicker. “Betty roped me into doing it, but didn’t tell me I’d be naked. You just missed Mr. October go in a few minutes earlier in nothing but a bathrobe.”

  The guy laughed. “What we won’t do for the animals.” He extended his hand. “Carter Manning.”

  As in Abby’s fling, Carter Manning? “Nice to meet you.” Brandon shook his hand. “Brandon Swift. You were Abby Stevens’s fling last summer, right?”

  Carter smiled. “You heard?”

  Brandon shrugged. “You know, small town gossip.”

  “Sweet gal—and funny. I never laughed so hard.” Carter chuckled. “I’ve missed her.”

  He did, did he? Brandon raked his hair. “But you two didn’t date long.”

  “No. I went back to Indianapolis. Biggest mistake I made, letting her get away.”

  Brandon was starting to think he knew the feeling. Abby may have taken matters into her magical hands, but he must have given her a reason to end things with him.

  “Anyway,” Carter continued, oblivious to how close Brandon was to the subject, “I called her last week to let her know I’d accepted a job as the shelter’s new veterinarian and was moving here. She told me she was seeing someone. Lucky bastard.”